Automatic musical instrument.



'Nm- 833.362 y PATENTED 00T. 16, 1906.

M. s'. WRIGHT. AUTQMATIG MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLHMTION IV'ILED APB.7,1902.

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, EAEQLIN COMPANY, A ConnoaiirioN 'or CONNECTICUT.

5 Commonwealth of Massachusetts; have ,in-

vented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Musical instruments, of whichthe "following is a speciiication, accompanied by e drawmgsformmg la vpart of the same,in

`i'owhichl 1 f AF`gure" 1' represents a verticall sectional View of a structure embodying vmy invention and-representing in side elevation the air land 'f valvech'ambers of a pneumatic action adapt- '15 ed to operate the keys of arnusical'instrument. Fig. 2 is a t'op'or plan viewshown in Section on line 2- 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horie `zon'tal sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 1, and Fig,r 4 is a perspective view of the link between'the finger or key-striker and its actuating mechanism'.

*Similar reerencedigures` referl tosi'milar j 'p'arts'inthediiferent views'. AMy- 'nvention' relates to an automatic `-r1i1$i1cal instrument, and particularly to that part bywhichr one or more of a series of keys are operated by a pneumatic actuating mech- `anism controlled by a moving strip of perforated paper; and my invention consists in theiconstruction and arrangement of parts, .as'her'einafter described, and pointed out in the" Aannexed claims.

vvThe pneumatic actuating device embody- 'ingf'myinvention is similar in its main features and principleof operation to'similar devices now in common use which embody a vacuumchamber from which air is withdrawn by a bellows or other suitable device,

a primary pneumatic or val ve-operating diaphragm with anfair-passage controlled by perforated paper to operate the valve, and a "main pneumatic or ingenactuating diaphragm. These elements` are common "in neumatic actuating devices; and my prese'nt 'invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the several parts by which the devlce is rendered 'more compactand simple in its'constructiom and it further relates to the 'employment of a series of hinged fingers orkey-strikers,- which are capable of being folded from their operative or extended position Iinto a compact position within the case when the apparatus is not iny use, with means Specicatid ettegrs faisant. Application filed*l April'l, 19027;. A.Serialil'm 101,624.

MASSACHUSETTS, AssioNon To' AUTOMATIC Mu,SiC'iiLA INSTRUMENT.

veat-:exited Oct.' l, 1906.

for simultaneously lifting the pivoted fingers orkey-strikersintc their operative positlon. Referring to theaccompanying drawings, 1 .denotes an outer case inclosing the actuating mechanism.

2 2 denote' -rolls for carrying thestrip of perforated paper and having means (not shown) .for rotating the rolls, by which the' paper is moved over the edge 3 of a tracker board 4. The edge of the tracker-board is providedwith a series of openings 5, which are` alternately opened and' closed by the movement of the perforated paper, said openings communicating wit-h air-channels, one

' of which is shown at 6.

The air-channel 6 passes downward through a channel-board 7 and communicates at its lower end with an air-space 8 beneath a primary pueumat-ic or valve-actuating diaphragm 9. Placed immediately behind the channel-,board 7 is a horizontal valve-board 10, having its rear edge abutting against the side of the channel-board 7. The `valveboard 10 is provided at the edge next the Qhannel-board with valve-chambers, one of which is shown at 11, containing a valvestem 12, which extends downward below the valve-board and is mounted on a follower 13, o

attached to a diaphragm 9 over the air-space 8, so that a rising-aml-falling movement will be given to the valve-stem by the movement of the diaphragm Q'. The valve-stein 12 cai?! ries an upper valve 14 and a loweivalve 15, the upper valve la being arranged to close an air-passagev -1.6', connecting t-he valve-charm' ber 11 with the open air, and the valve 15 controlling an air-passage 17 between the valve-chamber 11 and an mclosed pneumatic chamber 18 above the diaphragm 9.

The pneumatic chamber 18 extends across the apparatus beneath the valve-chambers 11 and is provided with a restricted ventpassage 19, communicating -wi'th the airchannel 6, and it also is provided at its end with an opening 20, communicating with `an air-'conducting passage 21 in the vconductorboard 21, Fig. 3, leading to a bellows or otherl suitable device for withdrawing air from the pneumatic chamber 18, and 'thereby reducing the air-pressure therein. -The bellows is y not shown in the present drawings, as its confstruction and use will be well understoodby those conversant with this clasaof-mechanisms. The valve-chamber 11 communicates at its rear end directly with a larger chamber 22, having lits upper side covered by the iinger-actuating diaphragm 23, said chamber 22 and diaphragm 23 forming the main operating-pneumatic in contradistinction to the A shaft 27, journalediin a post 28 within the air-chamber 22 and in a stuliing-box in the end Waill of the-chamber. The rear projectingend of the rock-shaft 27 isprovided with a crank-arm 29, connected by a link 3() with a lever 31, and between the levers 31 and the lever-board 33 is a blade-spring 34, which serves to maintain the lever 31 in'its raised or normal position, from which position it is lowered or depressed b v-the action of the crank-arm 29 and link 3U. The opposite end of the lever 3-1 is provided with a hinged iinger or key-striker 35, carrying at its free end a tip 36, 'arranged to rest upon a piano-key 37 and having at its opposite end a projection 3S, preferablyv bent at right angles and extending over the top of the lever 31 and receiving on its upper side the pressure of a blade-spring 39, b v which the projection 38 is held against an adjusting-screw 4() in order to enable .the hinged linger or key-striker 35 to bc adjust-ed relatively to the lever 31. The lever-board 33 isl provided at its opposite ends with brackets, one of which is shownV at 41, Figs. 1 and 2, in which is journaled the cranked rod 42, normally held by gravity in a vert-ical position, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the apparatus is removed from the piano or other keyed instrument, the door 43 upon the back side of the case is opened and the hingedl lingers or key-strikers 35 are swung downward into the case in the position shown by broken lines 35, allowing the door 43 and the supplementary door 43 'hinged thereto to be closed; but whennthe aparatus is to be applied to the/piano the ringed extensions or key-strikers 35 are allsimultaneously raised by swinging the crankrod 42 into the position shown by broken lines 42, Fig. 1, when' the door 43 is again closed and the door 43u left open, the crankrod 42 then resting upon the up er edge of 'the door 43, asshown at 42", alowing the fingers or key-strikers 35 to be depressed.

'The finger-board 33 is pivoted at each end upon uprights attached toy the ends of the board 10, oneof said u rights being shown at 44, F igs.,1.and 2, an the opposite or fori War-(ledge ofthe board, upon which the lever 31 is hingedfis, adjusted vertically by means of' an adjusting-screw 45, engaging aA nut 46,

- held in the iever-board and havingits lower end provided With a neck 47, journaled in a bracket 48,. attac-luid to the valve-board l0,

by which the screw is held from longitudinal movement and enabled b v its rotation. to ralse or lowerthe forward edge of the 'fingerboard, swinging it upon its pivots 49 for the )urpose of raising or lowering the fingers or key-strikers'S relativelyY to the piano-keys. The levers are therefore adjusted simultaneousl v by the action of theadjlisting-screw 45, and each finger or key-striker is likewise capable of independent. adjustment by varying.

the length ofthe link 30, and to accomplish this I form the lower section of the link of a wooden block 50, provided with a transverse round hole 5()a to hold a leather nut 5U", into which is screwed a scrl-w-threatled wirel 51, provided with a ring 52 -ats upper end, which rests against a washer 3upon the upper surface of the lever 31. rl`hclevers 31 are rounded at their ends. 32 and are held hetween washers 32 and 32"b v a screw 32",

which allows the lever to swing in both a ver-` tical and a horizontal'plane. v'l`hclever is held from lateral movement b v means ol the Vupright wires 54, held in' the lever-board 33 and extending upwardly. upon opposite vsides `of the levers.

lThe valve-board 1t) has a series. of chamhers,- linger-actuating diaphragms, valves, and valve-actuating diaphragms duplicates of those above described, and beneath the valve-board l() are similar valve-boards, one of which is indicated at 52, `Fig. 1,with their respective chambers arranged in different vertical planes. This feature is, however, now commonly practiced and forms no part of my present invention, which relates solely l to the single valve-board and it-s connected parts, b v which the apparatus is rendered much more compact and simple in construction and less liable to become inoperative by reason of climatic. changes.

'hat i claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of an air-chamber having an opening in its top, a flexible diaphragm closing said opening, a fol-lower attached to the under side of said diaphragm, a rockshaft journaled in said air-chamber and eX- tending through the wall of the chamber and operatively connected at-its inner end with said follower, a key-striker operatively connected with the opposite or outer end of said -rock-shaft, a board pivoted at one end and .said diaphragm and said key-striker, a board IIO - board pivoted at one edge and havinga pivv scribed.

Ascrew by which said board is rocked on otal connection with one end of said striker at its opposite edge, and means forrocking said board on its pivot, substantially as. de-

4. In an. automatic musical instrument, the combination of a board pivoted at one edge, a key-striker pivotal ly connected to the opposite edge of said board, and an adjustingpivot, substantiallyas described.

5. In an automatic musical instrument,

.the combination of a board pivoted at one edge, a key-striker pivotally connected to y said board, means for adjusting said board to raise and lower said key-striker, a spring between said board and said key-striker, and

Epair ofwashersdp said rounded en and a screw by which said its means for depressing said key-striker a ainst the tension of said spring, substantia ly as described.

6. In an automatic musical instrument,

'the combinationofa key-striker having a pivotal connection with the supportingramework by means ofa rounded end, and a laced on opposite sides of Washers are held in place, substantially as described. l

7. The combination With a'hinged lever, of

a key-striker pivoted to one end of said lever and having a projection extending over said lever, an adjusting-screw held 1n said lever and bearing aga-mst sald proJectlon, and a s rinrbvwhich said roectionisheldafrainst 4o P s P J D said screw, substantially as described.

Dated this 4th day of April, 1902.

' MORRIS S. WRIGHT. l/Vitnesses i RUFUs B. FowLER, M. M. SCHUERMANN. 

